The 2014 Hall of Fame inductees, including Giants legend Michael Strahan, were scheduled to be introduced prior to Sunday night's exhibition opener against the Buffalo Bills. Of course, Strahan, the headliner, was last.

After spending his entire 15-year career with the Giants, Coughlin wanted to make the moment special for Strahan. The newest Hall of Famer's team (once a Giant, always a Giant) was already lined up on the Fawcett Stadium field. So Coughlin told the players before the game an impromptu plan.

"We tried to surprise him [Sunday night]," said Coughlin, who coached Strahan the final four years of his career and helped him win his only Super Bowl title. "I told the players when he walks out there, we'll run out there and tap him, give him a pat on the back and get back in line so we don't get fined or taken out of here."

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After his introduction, Strahan did his "We Stomp You Out" routine. The entire Giants team then met him at midfield.

Impressed with the idea, the Bills copied the Giants gesture near midfield for Hall of Famer Andre Reed, who was also inducted on Saturday night and had previously been introduced without a similar reaction from the Bills players. The Giants responded by reconvening near the 50-yard line as well, each team on their own half of the field. It was a unique and special moment.

The weekend was much of the same. Reed, Strahan and five others were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Coughlin, Eli Manning and Mathias Kiwanuka headlined a large Giants contingent that attended the ceremony and didn't get back to the team hotel in Cleveland until almost 2 a.m.

They still believed it was worth it. They liked what they saw, even if Coughlin and Manning were among those used as punch lines in Strahan's 34-minute speech.

"We're so proud of Michael Strahan, so excited to come out here and be a part of this ceremony," Coughlin said. "To be there last night was really a tremendous thing because here is a guy that waits until 11 p.m. to speak and is really terrific with the mic in his hand. Just couldn't be prouder of him, the things he's accomplished both on the football field and post-football."

It was that pride, that love that prompted Coughlin to come up with something special on Sunday night. As usual, he made the right decision. Coughlin called the perfect audible.